OKLAHOMA CITY – Oklahoma Baptist halted Oklahoma City University's 14-game win streak, winning 9-8 on Friday at Jim Wade Stadium.
The Stars, ranked second in NAIA baseball, fell to 31-7, 15-2 in the Sooner Athletic Conference, suffering their first defeat since March 13. Oklahoma Baptist went to 29-10, 8-9 in the SAC.
OCU fell short in attempting to rally from a 9-2 deficit. Matt Presley cut the Stars' deficit to 9-8, knocking in two runs on a two-out triple to left field in the eighth inning.
The Stars ended the game with the tying run on third base. Chad Carman led off the bottom of the ninth with a long base hit to the left-center gap. Brian Fisher grounded into a force play, but advanced to second on an error. Fisher reached third on a passed ball.
Scott Dalrymple hit into a shallow fly ball to right, then Mark Purser smacked a line drive at Oklahoma Baptist pitcher Blake Gallacher's leg. The ball fell in front of Gallacher, who dove, picked up the ball barehanded and tossed to first to finish the game.
Gallacher worked the final 3.1 innings for his first save of the year. Brent Robison earned the victory, logging the first 5.2 innings with six strikeouts in a 126-pitch effort for Oklahoma Baptist.
Mike Richard (7-2) took the loss for OCU. Cody Crabaugh, Zac Coplon and Zac Tidholm combined to keep Oklahoma Baptist scoreless the final five innings.
Oklahoma Baptist took a 9-2 advantage as Justin Trejo nailed a three-run home run to right in the top of the fourth. Trejo also belted a two-run blast in the third. Reece Alnas had a two-run shot during Oklahoma Baptist's four-run first.
OCU got back into the game with the long ball. Steve Vitale belted a solo shot over the right-field wall in the first, then Presley had an RBI groundout in the third.
Garrett Regan hammered a solo homer to left to lead off the sixth, igniting a four-run Stars frame. Terrance Jackson drove in a run on a base rip to center. Kirk Walker added a two-run double to left to cut OCU's deficit to 9-6.
Jackson, a junior from Greenville, Ala., went 3-for-4 and scored three times. Carman, a sophomore from Midwest City, Okla., was 3-for-5, and Presley, a junior from Colorado Springs, Colo., was 2-for-5 with three RBIs.
Walker went 2-for-5 with two RBIs, and Purser was 2-for-5 with a run scored.
The Stars finish their three-game set against Oklahoma Baptist at 1 p.m. Saturday in Shawnee, Okla.
Boxscore
